Traffic signal



I. FRY.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Mme/anon FILED JAN-29,1921.

1,405,997, Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SH.EET 1. m k P ,29 I7 J. FRY.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.29, 1921.

1,405,997, Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- 2;; Q 11 we 8 wuemtdc UNITED STATES JOHN FRY, 0FPORTLAND, OREGON.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented Feb. 7, 1922'.

Application filed January 29, 1921 Serial No. 440,998.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a traffic signalincluding a tail light,

the construction and arrangement of the housing therefor being suchas toinclude a license number housing, into which the light from the lampshines, in order to disclose the license number.

Another purpose is to-provide a device of this character, including asingle housing or frame having two lateral moving signal arms and alicense number housing, the main housing having a red bulls eye glass,whereby a single electric lamp 'mounted in the main part of the housing,will illuminate the entire interior of the housing, as well as the armsand the license number housing.

Still another purpose it to provide a signal including a housing withits exterior of some suitable dark color, preferably green or the like,and its interior of whiteenamel, so as to reflect the ray from thesingle-light, thereby causing the license number to be displayed, aswell as the indicating arrows.

A further purpose is to provide a signal of this kind including ahousingm'ovable arms, which are disposed as returning normally forward,in combination with depressible means connected to each arm for movingthe same rearwardly, so that when it is limited in its movement, it willassume a position laterally from the main part of the housing or casing,the interior of the arm' being white enamel, so as to reflect the raysof the light, and indicate the arrow shaped opening.

A still further purpose is theprovision of means of electricalcharacter, to operate when the arms are actuated,vso as to indicate tothe chauffeur or driver of the automobile that the signal has properlyoperated.

While the design and construction at present illustrated and set forthis deemed prefer-able, it. is obvious that as a result of a reduction ofthe invention to a more practical form for commercial purposes, theinvention maybe susceptible of changes, and the right to these changesis claimed, provided they are comprehended within the scope of what isclaimed.

The invention comprises further features and-combination of parts, aswill be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of an automobile, showing theimproved signal apparatus as applied.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the signal. Figure 3 is a sectional view online 33 of Figure 2, showing the interior of the housing, andillustrating the single lamp of the main part of the housing and themovable arms thereof.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the operating means for the signal.

Figure 5, is a cross sectional view through the license number housingand a portion of the body housing.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view through one of the signal arms.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a portion of the frame or bodyof an automobile, and 2 denotes the housing at the rear of. the body,constituting the main portion of a signal apparatus. The signalapparatus is particularly constructed and designed, so that it alsoincludes the signaling arms, as well as the license number section ofthe housing. 7 w

The main portion of thel'housing may be any suitable shape orconfiguration, preferably of the contour shown. The main body of thehousing at opposite points is provided with spaced ears 3, between whichthe arm of a solid dark color such as green or the like, in combinationwith the front walls of the arm housings punchedout arrow shape, so thatthe light may appear therethrough,

and reflect the arrow rearwardly.

The rear wall of the main body of the housing 10 which communicates withthe inte'rior of the housing 1. The front wall of the housing 10 isprovided with punched out openings 11, which are in the shape ofnumerals, arranged to make up a license numher. In this way the singlelight in the main body ofthe signal is used to light up the licensenumber housing, as well as the signal arms, particularly when they aremoved in their inoperative vertical position.

Arms 12and 13 are movable with the pivot 6.015 the signal arms, andconnected to the arms 12 and 13 are links 14. These links 14 extendforwardly of the body of the automobile and are connected to the anglelevers 15, which are pivoted at 16, to the body or frame of the machine.Plunger rods 17 are mounted in guides 18 in the front part of theautomobile, in fact adj acent the foot board thereof. Each of theseplungers 17 is pivotally connected at 19 to one of the arms of the bellcrank levers 15.

The push plungers 17 are under tension of the springs 19, in order toinsure the returning of the plungers to their initial positions.Adjacent where the arms 4 and 5 are pivoted to the main body of thehousing, opposite openings are formed in the housing. The adjacentpivoted ends of the arms 4 and 5 are open as indicated at 20, toregister with the opposite openings 21 of the main body of thehousing,whereby the single electric lamp may lght up the entire interior of themain body of the housing and the interiors of the arms. The outer endsof the arms 4 and 5 are closed. The walls 22 of the arms 4'and 5. havearrow shaped openings 23, through which the rays from the single lampreflect or shine, in order to disclose an arrow shaped light. Theinteriors of the arms 4 and 5 are enameled, inorder to insure a verybright reflection of the light rays. The interior of the main body ofthe housing has its surface white enameled, in order to insure a brightreflection of the light rays.

The main body of the housing hasa projection 23, to which the coiledsprings 24 .are connected. These springs are in turn connected tothe armhousings 4 and 5, so as to hold them' in positions extending .nor-

mally forward. .When the arms 4 and 5 are in their'norma'l positions,the openings or communications between the arms and the main body of thehousing areclosed, therefore there is no reflection of the light raysinto the interiors of the arms 4 and 5. By means of the white enameledinner surfaces of the arms 4 and 5, a white reflection appears throughthe arrow shaped openings.

of the arms in the day time, while the light rays, will produce the samereflection at night. As previously stated the arms 4 and 5 extendnormally forward, and there are two push plungers for operating thearms, one for the arm 4, and another for the arm is claimedas beinguseful is: V i

In a traffic signal, a. main body housing 5. It will be noted that thearm 4 is designed to be moved to a lateral position, to indicate a turnto the right, while the arm 5 may be positioned laterally to directmovement of the automobile to the left. Hence when it is desired to givedirections that it is the intenton of the chauffeur to turn to theright, the right push plunger may be depressed, in which case thepulling action will be imparted upon the link 14, through the medium ofthe bell crank lever 15. The arm 12 of the housing arm 4-may be moved toa position as shown in Figure 2. When it is desired to turn to the left,the opposite push plunger may be actuated, which will impart a pullingaction upon the other link 1 which will rock the arm 13, and move thehousing arm 5 to a lateral position, in- 1 dicating a turn to the left.

A single electric lamp 25 is mounted on the interior of the'main body ofthe housing, and may receive a current supply from any suitable source.

The main body of the housing is provided with a pair of push buttons 26,which are so arranged on the main body of the housing with respect tothe arms 12 and 13, that when either of the arms 12 and 13 is moved formoving the signal housings to lateral positions, the arms '12 and 13will'contact with the buttons and close an electric circuit on thewiresor leads 27. These wires or leads 27 extend to an electric lamp 28adjacent the instrument board of'the automobile. When these electriclamps 28 are illuminated, the chauffeur or driver is notified that thesingle arms are properly operative. In other words the chauffeur isnotified that one or the other of the housing arms is extended in alateral position- The connecting links 14 are provided with safetyspring connections, to prevent theoverstrain on the operating parts.

The invention-having been set forth, what I provided with a bulls eyetaillight red lens facing rearwardly and having its interior enameledwhite, the opposite sides of the main bOCly housing having openings,ears projecting from the sides of themain body housing above and belowthe openings,arm housings pivotally mounted on opposite sides of themain body housing between said ears, certain side walls of the armhousings adapted to close the opening in the opposite sides of the mainbody housing when the arm housings extend in parallelism forwardly, theopposite side walls of thearm housings provided with punched out arrowshaped openings, said arm housings having their interiors enameled whiteand having their adjacent pivoted ends open to register withthe'openings in the opposite sides of the main body housing, whereby anilluminationon the interior of the main body housing means having rodconnections with the lemay be reflected into the arm housings, whenversfor movingthe arm housings to assume 10 one or theot-her of the armhousingsare lateral positions against the action of the disposedlaterally, whereby their arrow tensioning means.

shaped openings may face rearwardly, ten- In testimony whereof Ihereunto afiix my sioning' means for holding the arm housings signature.

in positions extending forwardly, levers carried by the pivots of thearm housings, and JOHN FRY.

